The Marian Altar
The purpose of the altar is to assist us in venerating Mary, the Mother of God.
The Marian Altar Virtual Tour
The Marian Altar
The purpose of the altar is to assist us in venerating Mary, the Mother of God.
The side altars, also called low altars, were used for private daily Low masses of the priests serving the church and as Devotional Altars by the parishioners in private prayer.
The Top of The Marian Altar
On the left: Angel with Cross signifies faith
On the right: Angel with Crown signifies Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth
Ecce mater Rua: Behold Your Mother
The Middle of The Marian Altar
The middle section of The Marian Altar has St. Cecilie on the left, Mother Mary holding Baby Jesus in the center and St. Agnes on the right.
Below the statues of St. Cecilie and St. Agnes you can see entry to the sacristy. A sacristy is a room for keeping vestiments, sacred vessels and other church materials. It is also where the priest and attendants vest and prepare before mass.
St. Ceclia, Virgin Martyr
On the evening of St. Cecilia's wedding day, she renewed the vow by which she had consecrated her virginity to God. "Pure be my heart and undefiled my flesh; for I have a spouse you know not of - an angel of my Lord." The heart of her young husband Valerian was moved by her words; he recieved baptism and within a few days he was killed.
She was brought before the prefect and threatened. She answered "Do you not know that I am the bride of my Lord Jesus Christ?" She remained, day and night, in a hot air bath heated seven times its wont. For two days and nights, Cecelia was fully sensible and joyfully awaited her crown. On the third day, the agony was over and in AD 177, the virgin saint gave back her pure spirit to Christ.
Blessed Virgin Mary with Child Jesus
Mother Mary, Mother of Jesus, wife of St. Joseph, and the greatest of all Christian saints.
St. Agnes, Virgin Martyr
At twelve years of age St. Agnes was tortured. When the judge saw that pain held no terrors for her, he inflicted an insult worse than death. Her clothes were stripped off and she had to stand in the street before a pagan crowd. She was not daunted, "Chirst will guard His own", she said. The crowd averted their eyes. Except for one young man who dared to gaze at her and a flash of light struck him blind.
At last the sentence of death was passed. For a moment she stood erect in prayer, and then bowed her neck to the sword. At one stroke her head was severed from her body and the angels bore her pure soul to Paradise.
The Bottom of The Marian Altar - Saint Justus of Beauvais
Saint Justus was born in 278 A.D. He lived in Auxerre, France, with his Father. At that time, the persecution of Diocletian was in full force. Justus and his father went to Amiens to ransom a relative. While there, Justus was reported to the authorities to be a Christian magician and soldiers were sent to arrest him. When confronted at Beauvais, Justus, who was nine years old, confessed that he was a Christian. He was immediately beheaded. Legend has it that he then stood upright with his head in his hand. At this sight the soldiers fled.
